There For You
by PrinRue
Summary: When Dipper starts getting harshly bullied in second grade, it's up to Mabel to stop it. First chapter is more focused on the parents, second is more Dipper/Mabel fluff. The twins are 7 in this story. Headcanon alert...
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: I brought some of my cringey headcanon into this story, mostly involving the twins' parents, so there's that... Um, enjoy the angst and sibling love!**

"Mabel!" Mrs. Pines called up the stairs. Her daughter came running around the corner and down the stairs.

"Yeah, Mommy?" Mabel responded.

"Come over here for a second." Mrs. Pines motioned her over to the couch. She leaned closer to Mabel and whispered, "Do you know what's been going on with Dipper? He's been acting weird lately."

Mabel looked down; she'd noticed the same thing, but every time she asked him what was wrong, he just said 'nothing'. "I don't know," Mabel whispered back. "He won't tell me."

"Can you please find out? I need to know if something's wrong, and he trusts you more than anyone else."

"I will. Promise."

THE NEXT DAY

The second the door opened when the twins got home, Mrs. Pines knew it was bad.

"Dipper!" She called as her son tried to sprint past to get to the stairs. She grabbed his hand before he could make it very far. "Dipper- Dipper look at me." Finally, he looked up at her, his face wet with tears. "Honey..."

"I- just want- to lay down," he said, wiping his eyes, trying to calm his breathing.

Mrs. Pines looked to the front door, where Mabel was standing, her face almost as pained as her brother's. She sighed, stroked his hair, then let him go.

Once he'd disappeared upstairs, Mabel threw herself into her mothers arms, breaking down herself. "It's bad, Mommy."

"What happened to him? Is he okay? Are _you_ okay?" Mrs. Pines felt Mabel shake her head 'no' against her chest. "What's going on?"

Mabel pulled away and looked at her. "It's these two boys at school. They- they keep making fun of Dipper. They're being so mean- they think he's messed up!" Mabel was getting louder, her anger taking over. "I have to go," she said suddenly, before bolting for the stairs. "Dipper! I'm sorry!"

Mrs. Pines pressed her hand to her eyes. Poor Dipper. Of course, when he was born, she knew this might happen; there are always those who are mean enough to make fun of others. But she had always believed his birthmark made him unique. Unfortunately, not everyone will see it that way...

Her attention was recaptured when she heard the front door open; Mr. Pines had returned from work.

"Are you okay, Lynn?" He asked, seeing the stress on her face.

Mrs. Pines sighed. "I don't know Reid. Something Mabel told me today is really bothering me." Mr. Pines sat on the couch beside his wife, waiting for her to go on. "I mean, Dipper's been acting so strange lately, and today Mabel told me that some kids at school are making fun of him."

"Why? I thought everyone liked the twins."

"So did I!" She shook her head. "But from what Mabel said, it sounds pretty bad."

Mr. Pines started to say something to console her, but was silenced by the sound of the stairs creaking. He and Mrs. Pines looked up to see Dipper slowly coming down the steps.

"Mom, Dad," he said, his voice still tight from crying. "I need to grow my hair out. And I'm not going back to school until I do. I can't." He took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm.

"Now, son-" Mr. Pines started, but choked at the miserable look on his son's face. He tried again. "You know there's nothing wrong with you, Dipper."

"Yes there is!" Dipper yelled at them, not being able to stop the tears this time. "And that's not my name! I- I hate this!"

Now Mrs. Pines was really hurt. This was affecting him so deeply, even the nickname he loved was just a source of pain. So, even though she couldn't think of him as anyone but her Dipper, she said, "What we mean is, Mason, you have no reason to hide. But," she said, "if you feel like you need to do it, we won't stop you."

He looked up at her. "And I don't have to go back?"

"Honey, you have to go to school-" Dipper looked down- " _but_ , what if I made you a little something to make it easier?"

He perked up. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll have to wait and see." Mrs. Pines winked, and Dipper smiled a little. Then he jumped up and hugged his parents.

"I love you guys," he whispered.

"We love you too, Mason," Mr. Pines said. Dipper walked back upstairs.

Still confused, Mr. Pines asked his wife, "What did you mean by a 'surprise'?"

"Oh, I was thinking..." she picked up her sewing needles and yarn. "A hat, maybe?"

Mr. Pines chuckled. "I think he'll love it."

The two were interrupted yet again by the stairs creaking, only this time, it was the other twin coming down.

"Mommy? Is Dipper gonna be okay?" Mabel asked. "I'm scared for school tomorrow."

"Mabel, can I trust you with something?" Mrs. Pines asked; Mabel nodded. "If I'm honest, sweetie, it probably won't be much better tomorrow. But Mommy and Daddy have something to ask of you..." Mrs. Pines looked at her husband, unsure if she should go on.

"I'll make sure he's okay." Mabel said, startling both parents.

"Mabes, you don't ha-" Mr. Pines was cut off.

"No. I have to. I'm gonna fix this."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry if this chapter seems a little disjointed from the other chapter; I originally wrote them as two separate stories, but since they're part of the same idea, I combined them as one, adding a few things to this one to connect it better. Hopefully, it still makes sense... Anyway, enjoy!**

Mabel hesitated before entering her brother's room. Her mom and dad said they had helped him a little, but she knew that he wouldn't truly feel better until the whole situation was over. And that's what she had to make happen.

Finally, she got the courage to go in. "Dipper, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Mabel. I'm fine."

Mabel studied her brother. He was looking down, his hands folded in his lap, his head hanging low. He wasn't fine. He hadn't been since they started second grade. Plus, she'd promised her mother she'd fix whatever was wrong. She couldn't give up.

"I know you're not fine," Mabel said, picking up his hand, only for him to pull away. "I'm your sister, Dipper. Tell me."

Dipper stayed quiet, except for a sniff here or there. The truth was, as young as they were, Mabel knew what was wrong. She had already noticed the way he tried brushing his hair in the morning and how he layed his head on the desk at school. How he avoided a few of the boys in third grade. But after actually witnessing it yesterday, she needed him to talk to her.

"Dipper?"

"Stop calling me that, Mabel."

"Why?"

"I don't need any more reminders." He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face, but Mabel could tell he was crying.

"Please, Dip-Mason-, I need to know what's going on. It's the only way I can help you."

After a minute, Dipper finally lifted his head and looked at her. "Mabel, do you think I'm, what was it they said... 'deformed'?"

Mabel's heart clenched. "No. Of course not. Why would anyone think that?" She tried to keep her voice calm for Dipper's sake, but she could feel the anger building inside her.

"Well, Damian and Marcus sure seem to think so." Dipper sub-consciously reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to pull its short length over his forehead. "Sometimes, I wish I'd been born different."

Mabel looked away. She hated seeing him hurt. When they were in kindergarten and first grade, no one made fun of him- or anyone really. They were all too young; they didn't know how to be mean. But their class was mostly eight now, and with getting older comes learning how to be mean. Damian and Marcus, it seemed, had decided to be mean to Dipper.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Di-Mason," Mabel said as she wrapped her arms around him. "And I'm gonna fix this."

"How?" He pulled away, looking at her with teary eyes.

She brushed his bangs back and smiled. "Oh, you'll see."

THE NEXT DAY

Mabel peeked around the the corner of the school toward the playground. She saw Dipper sitting on one of the swings, not swinging. He noticed her and gave her a questioning look, but she just did a lock-and-key motion over her mouth. Besides, she was really looking for- aha!

"Mission Dipper Protection Program is a go," Mabel said as she focused on Damian and Marcus streaking across the blacktop. Mabel shuffled from her hiding spot and subtly followed them. When the third graders got near Dipper, Mabel ducked under the playset, behind the fake rock climbing wall.

"Well, well, if it isn't Dipper Pines," Damian said.

"That's not my name," Dipper mumbled.

"Oh sorry, I forgot. 'Defect Pines' really works better doesn't?" Damian said, causing Marcus to laugh.

Dipper felt his cheeks warming up, and he looked down, shielding his face with his hand. "P-please, lea-"

"Leave you alone? Why would we do that?" Marcus interrupted in a mocking tone.

Dipper looked up at them, anger replacing the hurt in his voice. "What did I ever do to you? I'm just a kid, like you!"

Damian laughed, poking his lackey. "Did you hear that? It thinks it's like us!"

"What?" Dipper stood up from the swing, stepping toward the pair.

As soon as he did, Damian shoved Dipper's shoulders, pushing the younger boy into the woodchips.

"Take on step towards me and I'll wipe your ugly face off the planet," he said, leaning over a terrified Dipper. "I'm sure it wouldn't take much, anyways."

"I think," a voice called out, "you mean 'anyway'."

Damian and Marcus turned from Dipper. "Who said that?"

Mabel stepped out from her hiding place. "Considering 'anyways' is technically not a real word."

"Ugh, it's just the other one," Damian grumbled, then turned to face her. "Came to save your brother, I suppose?"

"Actually..." Without warning, Mabel socked the bully in the nose. Crying out in pain, Damian fell to his knees, clutching his face. "I came to teach you a lesson." She turned to Marcus, but before she had the chance to do anything, he held up his hands in surrender.

Mabel held out her hand to Dipper, who took it it, smiling graciously at her. As the twins walked away, Mabel turned back to Damian, whose fingers, now stained with red, were still pressed to his nose.

"Oh, but yes," she told him, happy to have fulfilled her goal, "I guess you could say I came to save my brother."

LATER THAT NIGHT

"Mabel?"

Mabel looked up from her scrapbook to her bedroom doorway. Dipper was standing there, holding one of her stuffed animals.

"You, uh, left this in my room," he said, walking over to her bed. He set it on the mound of stuffed animals next to the nightstand. After, though, he didn't move from his place by her bed.

"You good, bro-bro?" Mabel asked.

He sighed, then laughed. "Yeah. Thanks for what you did earlier. I needed it." Dipper reached up again, but instead of combing his hair down, he brushed it aside.

"Of course. And if they come back, I'll do again!" Mabel laughed, then looked her brother in the eye. "Seriously, though, I love you, Mason."

"Dipper," he said. "Dipper is fine."

Mabel smiled. "Sure thing, Dippingsauce."

He grinned back at her, then turned to leave. Once in the doorway, though, he turned back for a second. "And Mabel?" he said. "I think you mean 'are you okay?' Considering 'you good?' is technically not a real phrase." Dipper winked, then softly closed the door.

THE END


End file.
